Chapter 36: Clearing the Battlefield, Malicious Competition?

Except for Gu Xiaoyuan and Su Rui, who suffered only minor abrasions, the other five were in poor condition.

Gu Xiaoyuan busied herself treating the injured, while Su Rui took on the task of clearing the battlefield, which primarily involved recording the scene and extracting demonic cores. Uploading the data of slain demonic beasts to the Demon Hunter Association, with precise records for each individual, was essential for increasing a hunter's personal points.

The original five members of the Burning Heaven Squad, aside from the squad itself holding a Mysterious-rank status, were all Mysterious-rank hunters individually. Gu Xiaoyuan was a one-star Mysterious-rank hunter; Ling Xiao and Meng Huai were two-star; Han Yuesu was four-star; and Geng Xiao was five-star.

To advance in rank, besides reaching the required baseline of total points from hunting, one must also kill a demonic beast of the corresponding tier for each star level. For instance, Geng Xiao had to kill a five-bone demonic beast to reach the five-star rank. Gu Xiaoyuan’s promotion to one-star was somewhat of a shortcut; her teammates had critically injured a one-bone beast, and she had delivered the final blow. Without that, it would have been impossible for her to kill a one-bone beast alone, given her status as an eighth-tier Rock-stage cultivator with an auxiliary-type Destiny Martial Gift.

Beyond receiving higher stipends from the Association, a hunter's personal rank was crucial for social status. With a hunter's badge pinned to one's chest, even other practitioners of lower standing would have to address them as "Senior." Furthermore, personal rank determined which individual missions one could accept. While a hunter squad was not necessarily permanent, one's personal rank followed them for life. The Demon Hunter Association was not unique to Burning City; it was spread across the entire Human Domain, with the Burning City branch being just one of many.

"It’s a pity Yu Le’s total points aren't enough; otherwise, this two-bone Golden-Maned Demonic Rat would have been enough to promote him directly to a two-star Mysterious-rank hunter."

As the squad rested, the count and tiers of the maned rats they had killed were tallied. Including those from the factory entrance and those Geng Xiao’s group had fought, the demonic cores formed a small pile. In truth, Geng Xiao and Ling Xiao had encountered fewer rats—only about thirty Rock-stage ones, and the Poison-Maned Demonic Rat they killed was only a one-bone beast—far less in quality and quantity than what Han Yuesu’s group had faced.

"Yuesu, calculate the total points. See if giving them all to Yu Le is enough to promote him."

Han Yuesu was stunned for a moment, then nodded in agreement. Pooling a squad's points onto one person was usually a tactic used by the wealthy elite, hiring experts to kill beasts so they could claim all the credit. To most, even the son of the Burning City Lord would be a nobody once he left the city. However, a hunter rank was different; the badge issued by this massive organization carried weight across all human cities—an essential identity for any cultivator traveling abroad.

With Geng Xiao’s proposal accepted by Han Yuesu and the others, there were no objections. Without Yu Le, the two members of Han Yuesu’s group might well have died. He had earned his place through raw strength. As for the remaining demonic cores, they were divided by contribution, following the principle that the killer claims the spoils. For joint efforts, the Burning Heaven Squad had clear distribution rules. Auxiliary members like Xiaoyuan received a portion from each combatant after the main shares were settled. No one had any complaints about this arrangement.

After reviewing the battle and settling the distribution, Geng Xiao posed a question: "Do you all think this group of maned rats was a bit strange?" He looked at Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao understood, unhooking a bottle from his waist and pouring out some powder. "Did any of you smell this?"

The others leaned in to sniff. Su Rui’s eyes brightened. "That’s the smell! I noticed it earlier!" Gu Xiaoyuan nodded, adding, "It seemed to be coming from the ventilation ducts."

Geng Xiao and Han Yuesu exchanged glances, both sensing something amiss. Meng Huai, who had just had his severed arm reattached, woke up faintly. Upon hearing their conversation, his face darkened. "It seems the Leichi Squad used our Burning Heaven Squad as a front."

Silence fell over the group, except for Su Rui, who asked blankly, "What do you mean?"

Geng Xiao pinched the powder in Ling Xiao’s palm. "I don’t know what this is, but it’s certain that the rats were drawn through the vents by this scent. The Security Bureau’s intelligence only mentioned thirty or forty rats. As a veteran squad, the Leichi shouldn't have failed to scout properly. Since they provided no supplementary warnings, we can assume they hid the truth on purpose."

"Their goal was to use this scent to drive the rats out of the vents and force us to deal with the bulk of them, making it easier for them to attack from the other side and complete their mission. Whether they also hoped the rats would finish us off, I can't say."

Han Yuesu said coldly, "Don't doubt it. Fang Wensheng is capable of that. I’ve suspected their squad provided false intel during Mu Chao’s death as well."

Su Rui’s face turned pale. "They’re all hunter squads; why would they do this?" To him, what was even harder to accept was that the deputy captain of the Leichi Squad was his own brother. Could his brother really be so heartless as to harm him?

Han Yuesu looked at him with a sneer. "There’s no 'why.' Not every squad is here to wipe out monsters and keep the peace. Some like healthy competition; others will stop at nothing." She paused, then added, "As for you... if I remember correctly, your mother is the original wife of the Su family head, isn't she?"

A thought struck Su Rui like a thunderclap: The struggle for the heirship was always cruel.